The need for a BIPOC meditation community is well illustrated by meditation teacher JoAnna Hardy She believes that as Buddhist practices were brought from the east to the United States, convert practitioners knowingly or unknowingly adopted a practice of selective cultural appropriation. In so doing, many cultural practices or symbols were overly simplified, stripped of their meaning and significance, or even used to replicate systems of oppression. We see it as critical to highlight POC cultural practices, imbuing the individual meditative practices with additional potential and meaning. Our Charlotte BIPOC Meditation Community strives to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone can learn, grow, feel safe / seen and connect with others.